Universal adjustable earpiece for audiphones



May 8, 19280 1,668,890

5. T. CURRAN ET AL UNIVERSAL ADJUSTABLE EARPIECE FOR AUDIPHONES FiledSept. 26, 1925 ANTITRAGUS CAVUM coNcHA MVP/Wars." 5fan/ay 7.' Cur/"an[mf/ C. Mue/mrJ/r Patented May 8, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STANLEY T. GURRAN, OF MOUNTAIN LAKES, AND EMIL C. MUELLER, JR., ELIZA-BETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO BELL TELEPHONE LABORATORIES, INCOR-PORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

UNIVERSAL ADJUSTABLE EARPIECE FOR AUDIPHONES.

Application filed September 26, 1925.

This invention relates to a small universal adjustable ear-piece held byand within the ear for supporting a telephone receiver.

An object of this invention is to provide a universal adjustableear-piece which may be adjusted to lit ears of different sizes andshapes.

The ear picce is constructed so as to fit a large number of cars ofdifferent sizes and shapes. It is only necessary to have a fewear-pieces of different sizes, asear-pieces constructed in accordancewith the invention comprise a formed part which engages and tits intothe mouth of the auditory canal and a flexible adjustable wire which is'fOI'll'lGtl to fit within and conform to the contour of the lower, rearand upper parts of the outer ear. The flexible wire or memberelastically tightly holds the ear-piece in place as the flexible memberis under elastic tension at all times. To fit an ear, it is onlynecessary to select an ear-piece having a nozzle of the proper size tofit into the mouth of the auditory canal and then form the flexible wireor spring to fit the contour of the inner ear. This arrangement not onlyhas the advantage of requiring but few different sizes of ear-pieces tofit a large number of cars of ditl'erent sizes and shapes, but

sage and telephone receiver supporting member in uniformly tightconnection with the auditory canal due to the elasticity and ad- 3'ustability of the spring support. The formed member may he made of hardrubber, phenol compound or other suitable material. The springsupporting member may be made of such material as comfort cablecommercially used in making up ear-bows for spectacles. This spring canbe molded directly in the ear-piece or cemented in a. drilled hole orotherwise afiixed to the formed member.

The ear-piece has a positive grip in the ear at anumber of differentpoints. The sound passage nozzle enters the auditory canal under thetragus, the flexible supporting spring engages the inner walls of theouter ear behind the antitragus, the antihelix, and the crura ofantihelix, the free end of the spring engaging at the latter position.The ear-piece shown is arranged to fitin the it also comfortablymaintains the sound pas- Serial No. 58,748.

left ear, but by bringing the flexible spring wire out from the oppositeside, the earpiece will fit the right ear. The axis of the tip or nozzleof the ear-piece is positioned approximately at right angles to the axisof the attached telephone receiver and this allows the tip to projectunder the tragus of the ear and tightly fit into and close the au ditorycanal against the entrance of external noises and also against escape ofsounds which are transmitted through the sound passage of the ear-piecefrom the receiver. The mouth of the sound passage at the tip or nozzleend is flared or bell-shaped so that there will always be a tree passagefrom the sound channel into the ear even though the ear is so shapedthat there is a tendency to shut oil or partially close the soundpassage when the ear-piece is in position.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view ol" the human ear withthe ear-piece in place and showing its outer side;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the ear-piece with the telephone receiverattached thereto;

Fig. 3 is a bottom and inner side view of the ear-piece; and

Fig. 4, is a cross section of the ear-piece through the sound passagewith the telephone receiver attached.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in different views.

The names of certain parts of the human ear which are most directlyassociated with the ear-piece are shown in Fig. 1 so as to facilitatedescription of the Way the earpiece is held in place.

The formed mounting member of the earpiece is shown at 10, and it is soshaped that its tip or nozzle fits into and fills the mouth of theauditory canal, while the lower, rear and top sides clear the innerwalls of the outer ear as shown. An adjustable spring or flexible member11 is attached to the lower side of the mounting 10 and is so shapedthat it extends toward the bottom of and around to the rear and top ofthe conchae as shown. The sound passage 12 extends through the mounting10 from the receiver end to the tip or nozzle 13. At the outer side, themounting member 10 is provided with any suitable means for mounting andconnecting the telephone receiver 20 so that it may transmit soundvibrations into the sound passage 12. The receiver may be of the typedisclosed and claimed in an application of W. C. Jones, Serial No.714,476, filed May 19, 1924.

The nozzle 13 of the sound passage is firmly held in the mouth of theauditory canal by passing under the tragus and by means of the spring 11exerting a forward pressure and engaging within the conchw behind theantitragus, the antihelix and the crura of-antihelix. The mountingmember ear-piece being fitted and adjusted for a large number of ears ofdifferent sizes and shapes. By the employment of two adjustable springsextending from each side of the mounting member the ear-piece isadaptable to either the right or the left ear.

The invention disclosed herein is obviously susceptible to variations,modifications and adaptations without departing from the scope andspirit of the invention, and it is not intended to limit the inventionto the specific construction herein shown and described. except asdefined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An ear piece for insertion within the ear comprising a formed soundpassage member for engaging the auditory canal, and a bow shaped springpartially encircling said sound passage member and having one endattached thereto and adapted to make contact for the greater part of itslength with the inner surface of the ear.

2. An ear piece for insertion within the ear comprising a formed sound,passage member having a base portion, a nozzle portion oblique to saidbase portion for engaging the auditory canal, and a spring member forengaging the inner surface of the ear, said spring member partiallyencircling-said base portion and having one end attached thereto.

3. An ear piece consisting of a formed sound passage member having asubstantially cylindrical base portion for connection with a telephonereceiver, a nozzle portion projecting obliquely from one end of saidsound base portion and adapted to engage the auditory canal, said nozzleportion having a slightly enlarged tip and a bow shaped flexible memberhaving a single substantially semi-circular loop attached to andpartial- 1y encircling said base portion for holding said sound passagemember within the ear.

4. In combination with a telephone receiver, a mounting for insertionwithin the car, said mounting comprising a base portion connected tosaid receiver, a nozzle portion oblique to the diaphragm of the receiverfor insertion within the auditory canal, a spring member having one endfree and partially encircling said mounting and lying in a planesubstantially parallel to the plane of the diaphragm of the receiver,said spring member being adapted to engage the inner surface of the ear.

In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names this 24th day ofSeptember, A. D. 1925.

STANLEY T. CURRAN. EMIL C. MUELLER, JR.

